Reid on Nelson's mop: Some think it's a toupee, but not me

The thick mane is so stunning that Nelson will pull it for you to prove it’s real. Constituents often think it’s a toupée. And many senators – Reid included – seethe with jealousy over Nelson’s do, Reid admitted.

“I mean, that is a mop of real hair,” Reid marveled Monday on the Senate floor. “He has hair like a 15-year-old … and so, I have to acknowledge I am a little envious of his hair.”

The ode to Nelson’s hair came in Reid’s farewell soliloquy to the Nebraska senator, who is retiring after 12 years in the Senate. Among Nelson’s qualities that Reid paid tribute to were his independent streak, his reputation as an “accomplished practical joker,” and the time that Nelson took Sen. Chuck Schumer pheasant hunting and the New Yorker shot a bird or two. (“A lot of us have some trouble accepting that,” Reid added.)

“While there are a few things Ben and I disagree on, we agree on almost everything,” Reid said of Nelson, considered the most conservative senator in the Democratic caucus. “Over the last 12 years, he has been a valued member of the team.”

As for Nelson’s wife Diane, Reid said: “I like her for lots of reasons, including the smile she has, but also she makes some of the best chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever eaten.”